Swede Sighting: 2019 Volvo XC40 Spied

Small Volvos are making a comeback.

What It Is: A new Volvo crossover that will anchor the small end of the Swedish automaker’s SUV lineup. Previewed last year by a concept called the 40.1, the XC40 will continue the styling renaissance begun by the flagship XC90 but with a more youthful character to go along with its smaller size and lower price point. These spy photos show that the production car will hew closely to the concept, which shares its concave front grille, Thor’s Hammer headlights, and vertically oriented taillights, signature elements of recent Volvo designs. Interior photos show a familiar theme as well, with a large vertical touchscreen dominating the center stack, although materials won’t be quite as rich as those found in top-of-the-line 60- and 90-series models.

Why It Matters: If Volvo wants to be taken seriously as a global luxury brand, it needs a broad lineup to compete with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi. The small end of the upscale market has grown in recent years, and Volvo has been without such vehicles in the U.S. since the S40 and V50 were discontinued in 2011. The XC40, along with its expected S40 sedan and V40 wagon stablemates, should give Volvo an accessible price point that will bring new buyers into the fold and increase sales volumes considerably.

Platform: Sitting below the three-row XC90 and the recently redesigned XC60, the XC40 will not share those models’ SPA architecture, instead riding on Volvo’s CMA compact platform co-developed with its Chinese owners Geely. These underpinnings are engineered to accommodate both front- and all-wheel drive, along with gasoline and electrified powertrains.

Powertrain: The turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four Drive-E engine found in every U.S.-bound Volvo likely will be the XC40’s mainstream engine option in the States. A turbo three-cylinder is more likely to stay in Europe, as is the manual transmission visible in this prototype vehicle. Given Volvo’s push for more electrification in its lineup, a plug-in-hybrid model is a sure bet, likely with a turbocharged three-cylinder gas engine paired with an electric motor/generator and a 9.7-kWh battery for around 250 horsepower. There also will be a full-electric 40-series variant, but it’s not known yet which of the body styles it will be offered in.

Estimated Arrival and Price: Volvo has fast-tracked its new crossover models in accordance with market trends, so we should see the production XC40 debut before the end of this year. It will start in the low-to-mid-$30,000 range, with fully loaded versions reaching well above $40,000.

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